APCO International expresses our gratitude to public safety professionals everywhere. Thank you for your service and have a safe and happy holiday weekend.
Telecommunicators in Salt Lake City (Utah) are the voice of reason and calm on calls involving traumatic situations but not knowing how the emergencies are resolved can cause significant stress.
The program that will send a crisis worker and an emergency medical responder to incidents that do not require a police officer will be piloted in a neighborhood that has seen a higher than average uptick in the number of 9-1-1 calls.
Jeritza Suriel won the 'Do the Right Thing' award from her school thanks to calling 9-1-1 after her mother collapsed. She remained calm and was able to provide all of the necessary information translating from English to Spanish and vice versa.
Mary Kay Swires began work at the Boonville Police Department as a meter maid and became a full-time telecommunicator in 2012. She has learned that the key to the job is keeping calm.
As Owensboro and Daviess Counties have become home to more diverse populations, the city-county emergency communications center has also seen an increase in the diversity of languages they hear on emergency calls.
When a call came in about an incapacitated teen, Telecommunication Officer Tina Stimely had to convince reluctant members of the household to begin CPR before paramedics arrived.
